Gwinnett SWAT Standoff: 'It Was a Typical Call'

The emergency call to Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services began Wednesday in Suwanee as a "typical call," according to spokesperson Tommy Rutledge.

It ended about 7:30 p.m., some four hours later, with the caller dead after exchanging gunfire with a Gwinnett Police SWAT team. Five firefighters who were held captive were treated for superficial wounds at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville. A Gwinnett Police officer who was wounded in the hand also was in "good" condition, a GMC spokesperson said late Wednesday.

"It's a first for me," Rutledge said. "It's something we'll be talking about."

The hostage-taker, who initially told responders he had chest pains, was pronounced dead by police after the SWAT team made the decision to enter the house at 2440 Walnut Grove Way. The subdivision is near Walnut Grove Elementary on Taylor Road.

The captive firefighters stuck to their duties during the ordeal. "They were also helping meet his needs while in there," Rutledge said. Food was even provided for the captor.

Officials still have not released the identity of the hostage-taker. Reports that the home was in foreclosure could not be confirmed.

However, financial issues appear to be a motive for the incident. The captor demanded that his utilities be turned on during the ordeal.

"(The captor) took them hostage to meet his demands," Gwinnett Police spokesperson Ed Ritter said. The decision was made to enter the house when police felt the hostages' lives were in "immediate danger."

-- "Multiple handguns, multiple rifles": Listen to the dispatch audio, via wsbtv.com.

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